Match Preview: Basingstoke Town v Dorchester Town Sat 6th Oct

Whilst smaller teams such as Horsham and Moneyfields will be welcoming it’s FA Cup opponents this Saturday in the next round of the FA Cup, our own FA Cup run is over and done with yet again before October, so we return to the league this weekend and welcome Dorchester Town another team dumped out of the cup, by our last Saturday’s opponents Tiverton 2–0.

Dorchester Town sit just two places above the relegation zone in 18th place with 8pts from 8 games so far this season.

With just two wins, two draws and 4 losses and -9 goal difference, The Magpies may well be happy to come to the Camrose, not just because Stoke have gone off the boil recently and are leaking goals like the Titanic, but also their performances on their brand new installed 3G pitch, appear not to have suited the team from Dorset as they had hoped.

Having lost at home to Met Police (our opponents, Saturday week) 0-1, a weak 2-2 draw against Kings Langley, then a late winner against local team Hartley Wintney 2-1, they were then humbled 0-3 at home to Hendon last Saturday. Mind you there away isn’t that much better with a 2-4 win at Wimborne in the middle of hammerings at Salisbury 3-0 and local rivals Weymouth 5-0. Their 8th point was a 2-2 draw at Beaconsfield Town.

As for our recent record against the Magpies, well it isn’t that great, in fact it is pretty awful almost shocking. In the past two seasons we have played them 4 times in the league and are yet to beat them. Last season we were held 1-1 at the Camrose, whilst losing 1-0 at the Avenue Stadium. We have also played them the past two seasons in the FA Trophy, which in 2016-17 was our only recent win when for those who attended the game in Dorchester, saw an amazing game where we somehow run out winners 0-3 on a day when it could have been 8-8. We played them in 2017-18 season but were knocked out 2-1.

So, as we enter this Saturday’s game, Basingstoke now sit in 7th spot and are desperate to re-start it’s league season.

As for our squad, it is unlikely that Sam Deadfield whatever his injury turns out to be, is unlikely to play this weekend, whilst Dan Bayliss re-aggravated an ankle injury, but it is expected that he will be in the line-up come Saturday. I will update when I can.

Jack McKnight without doubt has been a revelation since winning a starting role and is the other real goal-scoring threat from midfield.

Dean Stow has secured the penalty taking role for the season.

Whatever, line-up Jason Bristow decides to go with, we need to win the midfield battle, so would assume Charlie Kennedy & Dan Collier will be the first names on the teamsheet. So along with McKnight, that’s 3 of your midfield set.

Is it time to start with two-up front, I have always been a firm believer of that and would like to see Argent supported by the aerial influence of Callum Bunting from the start. If we go with that, we will have to go with one winger, which likely means pushing Akers to the bench.

As for the defence, we have conceded goals from the near post in recent weeks and think we need to counteract this Saturday (and every other match too).

Dorchester have always proved to be a dogged team to play and will no doubt be the same this Saturday, but let’s hope for a performance that can get the crowd cheering and an early goal or two would help.